On 9-10 December 2017, Focus on the Global South participated in events organized by the Agroecology Learning Alliance in South East Asia (ALiSEA) in Luang Prabang, Laos, which included a festival of short films on agroecology, an agroecology market, and a public discussion.

ECO -FRIENDLY PRINTABLE VERSION WITH NO PICTURES (text only)!

In many countries in Asia, new forms of authoritarianism are on the rise. In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte—a former mayor accused of organizing death squads and who promised to make the fish of Manila Bay grow fat from the bodies of drug dealers—won the presidential elections in 2016.

ECO -FRIENDLY PRINTABLE VERSION WITH NO PICTURES (text only)!

In many countries in Asia, new forms of authoritarianism are on the rise. In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte—a former mayor accused of organizing death squads and who promised to make the fish of Manila Bay grow fat from the bodies of drug dealers—won the presidential elections in 2016.

Agriculture has been the driving force for India’s economy. At one point farming was even considered to be one of the most respectable job an individual could have. However, with the shift from zero budget farming to the rapid commercialisation of agriculture, many farmers have found themselves displaced or stuck in a vicious circle of debt trap.

For majority of peasants and indigenous people in India and around the world, climate change is a dreadful reality that has drastically altered their and rendered them vulnerable to hunger, poverty and deprivation. Even at the best of times, millions of them live on the edge, surviving on paltry income.

Focus in 2016 initiated and engaged more vigorously in endeavors that challenged the impunity of state and non-state actors in the region. One of the main approaches in doing this was working closely with human rights organizations and networks of rights defenders and activists.

This booklet is intended to serve as a basic background resource for grassroots groups, to make links between gender and agroecology, and to understand agroecology's potential to address gender inequalities.

The following open letter has been issued and signed by scholars, academics, and civil society members from across the world in support of the five academics and researchers who have been summoned by the military following the International Conference of Thai Studies (ICTS13), and to object to attempts by the state to control spaces of learning.

We the undersigned express our alarm and dismay at the Summons issued by Col Suebsakul Buarawong, deputy commander of the 33rd Military Circle in Chiang Mai, to Dr Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Pakawadee Veerapatpong, Chaipong Samnieng, Nontawat Machai, and Thiramon Bua-ngam. They are accused of violating the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief's Order No.3/2015, Thailand’s military regime's ban on political gatherings of five or more persons. Conviction on the charges issued against these five scholars carries a potential six months in prison.

Statement from iDEFEND on the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, the Philippines

On Tuesday night, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law on the entire Mindanao Island while on a state visit in Russia, following the fighting between the military and the Maute group.

It has to be clarified that the clashes were triggered by law enforcement operation in Marawi. This is a situation started by the government itself. Similarly, the Maute group is a local terrorist group, and not ISIS, even as the former tries to ally itself with ISIS.

It’s been over a year since the late afternoon on 16 April 2016 when Den Kamlae went missing on his way to collect forest items. Material evidence was later discovered between 23-25 March 2017. Today, these important materials are still under examination by forensic scientists and the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS).

On 14 March 2017, the International Day of Action for Rivers, we, the Save the Mekong Coalition along with civil society and community partners from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, make this statement to express our gratitude to the Mekong River and the way of life she supports. The Mekong is our mother river, home to unique biodiversity and a lifeline for millions of people throughout the river basin. We recognize the efforts of Mekong communities who are working to protect and preserve the unique ecosystems and resources of the river for future generations.

July 11, 2016 - We, the undersigned Cambodian civil society groups, are outraged at the brutal murder of independent political analyst and grassroots organiser Kem Ley yesterday morning, and call for a prompt, thorough and independent inquiry into his death.

Kem Ley, 46, was shot twice, in his chest and his head, in a heavily-frequented Caltex petrol station cafe in central Phnom Penh shortly before 9.00 on Sunday morning.

Today, I march side by side with our workers to affirm their struggle for labor rights and continue the fight for dignity for our working class.

Labor day is a celebration of what the labor movement has won over decades of struggle.

Not many people know this but the fact that it is illegal to force workers to work for more than 8 hours and that they have to be paid more if they work beyond that is something that workers—through collective action—achieved.

Suffering the brunt of the ongoing El Nino, more than 6 thousand farmers converged along a national highway in Kidapawan in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on March 30 to demand 15,000 sacks of rice and financial subsidy promised to them six months earlier by the provincial government. They urgently need this assistance to tide them over until they are able to plant and harvest rice again.

Where we work:

Join us on:

Spanning more that three decades, Sombath Somphone’s work and interests spanned many areas. The Sombath Initiative will strive to advance critical discussion, analysis and advocacy on a range of issues including youth, education, the environment, civil society, and a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable approach to national development.

For two decades, Focus has been a leading voice in Asia against economic and financial globalization, neoliberalism, political oppression and militarisation, as well as supporting alternative systems and approaches from the ground up. In 2015, Focus marked its 20th anniversary by holding an international conference on Peoples' Struggles and Alternatives. Visit the microsite to view videos, pictures and further information from this event.

The EDSA Stories Project was first envisioned, in 2003, as a documentary film project, which would be based on primary interviews with personalities who were part of or had been associated with the EDSA historic events—the 1986 EDSA People Power, EDSA Dos and EDSA Tres, both of 2001. Between 2004 and 2005, Focus on the Global South-Philippines interviewed 35 of these individuals comprising a list of what could be considered the 'who's who' of EDSA

Information & analyses on energy development in China to help in understanding the linkages between energy, work, land & the environment, as well as structures of ownership, control and decision-making.

The international Nyéléni newsletter is the voice of the international movement for Food Sovereignty. Its main goal is to strengthen the grassroots of the movement, by providing accessible material on key issues and creating a space - for individuals and organisations involved in the struggle - to exchange their experiences and share information.